Vegetarian Empanadas

vegetarian empanada cut in half and dipped in chimichurri sauce

This empanadas recipe uses a simple dough and is stuffed with sweet potatoes, peppers, black beans, corn and spices.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Argentinian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings

Calories 510kcal

Author Ryan Beck

Ingredients

Empanada Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
½ cup ice cold water

Filling

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½" cubes (about ½ lb)
3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
½ medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
½ lime, juiced

Cilantro Chimichuri

1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Using a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture becomes coarse meal, about 15 pulses.
In a small bowl, combine egg and water. Add the egg mixture to food processor and pulse until it starts to clump together. DO NOT pulse until ball is formed. It should be crumbly with large clumps of dough.
Turn dough only a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Cut in half and flatten each ball slightly to form a disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and put in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dice sweet potatoes into ½ inch cubes and toss with 2 tablespoon olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes until tender and toss halfway through.
While sweet potatoes are roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes. Mix in spices. Add drained black beans and corn and sauté for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the roasted sweet potatoes, cheese and lime juice. Mix well. Let cool to room temperature.
When ready to make empanadas, reduce oven to 375°F. Roll out dough to ⅛ inch thickness. Cut into circles about 5 inches in diameter using a ring cutter or small bowl.
Put about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each circle. Put some water around the entire edge, so once folded it will stick together. Wrap dough around filling to form empanada, pressing edges together. Crimp with a fork. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Whisk together the egg and water to make the egg wash. Brush each empanada with the egg wash. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until they are golden brown.
While empanadas are baking, mx all ingredients for the chimichurri together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to release all of the flavors into the oil before using.

Notes

Use an empanada dough press to make life easier when filling and folding.
If the dough is becoming a little warm due to being out too long when adding the filling, just place the filled empanadas back in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.
Use an egg wash on the outside of the dough to get the empanadas golden brown.
Leftover empanadas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition